Treatment of animal fibers



Patented Apr. 25, 1939 TREATMENT I OF ANIMAL FIBERS Leo Frenkel, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Hatters Fur Exchange, Inc., Walden, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,397

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a process of treating short animal fibers, such for example as rabbit fur and hair fibers, to substantially eliminate.

flying and the effects of static electricity in the processing of the fibers, and to prevent shedding after the treated fibers have been incorporated into a yarn. The yarn may be made up of mixed or unmixed treated fibers or of treated fibers in combination with untreated fibers of the same or different kind.

It is sometimes desirable to combine feathers in a yarn and the term animal fibers is used herein to include all forms of dermic coverings, specifically including feathers.

The present application relates to the same invention as that described in my co-pending application filed June 9, 1934, Serial No. 729,802, of which the present application is a continuation in part.

Heretofore, great difficulty has been experienced in treating short animal fibers, and especially those which are characterized by their straight smooth natural form, and their'lightness and fine quality, due to flying, and shed- 5 ding and the efiects of static electricity.

Static electricity to which these fibers are extraordinarily sensitive causes them to be attracted to or repelled from one another or from the machinery in which they are processed, de-

pending upon the electric charge in the individual fibers, often causing the fibers to gather together in bunches, and rendering them extremely difiicult to process.

Flying is the tendency of fibers, particularly light fibers, to scatter or fly out of the pickers or other machines in which the fibers are processed during the manufacture of theyarn. This results not only in loss of the fibers, but also greatly interferes with the treatment of other materials because the fibers floating around in the atmosphere settle on other stock.

Shedding is the tendency of the fibers to loosen and pull out of the yarn after it has been spun, or out of the fabric made up therefrom, and is very noticeable in all materials in which short, straight animal fibers are used at present.

In order to overcome the difiiculty in processing fibers due to the effects of static electricity it has been customary to wet the fibers prior to introducing the fibers into the pickers or other machines for processing the fibers. This practice is detrimental to the machinery due to the formation of rust, and the benefit obtained in lessening static is only temporary so that each batch of fur must be wet just'bef ore being introduced into the machinery and the operation must be repeated at frequent intervals unless the whole treatment can be completed in a short interval.

By my invention I am able to substantially eliminate the difficulties heretofore experienced due to static electricity, not only temporarily but permanently, so that the fibers may be stored and used at a later time without further treatment, or the processing operations may be stopped as often as desired and need not be hurried. The fibers treated by my process are characterized by a substantial freedom from flying during processing, and from shedding provided the fibers are properly spun, and this is true regardless of whether the fibers are used soon after being treated, or are stored away and used at a much later time.

In carrying out my invention, I modify the form and character of the fibers by inducing kinks, curls or sharp bends in them, and further reducing their freedom of slip by endowing them with a friction increasing material, thereby changing their frictional and electrical properties and their weight, and causing them to more readily engage and remain interengaged with other fibers, either of the same, or of a different kind. I prefer to modify the form of the fibers and deposit thereon an. adherent material, in a single step. The form of the fibers may however be artificially modified, either as disclosed herein or in some other suitable way, in one step, and an adherent material deposited on the fibers in a separate step.

While for the purposes of a full disclosure I have set forth herein a specific way of carrying out my invention, the proportions of the ingredients named, or their equivalents, may be considerably varied without departing from the scope of my-invention which is defined in the claims appended hereto.

Animal fibers in their natural state are ordinarily greasy. The fibers to be modified should be in a condition permitting the solution with which I treat the fibers to come into intimate contact with the fibers, so that the solution can act upon the body of the fibers and be deposited and retained thereon. In order to remove the grease, any suitable treatment may be used which will not injure the fibers, I have found that a solution of five parts of water to one of the fiber stock and up to 5%, based on the'weight of the fiber stock, of each of trichlorethylene and triethanolamine, gives good results. The

fiber may be soaked in this solution for from ten to thirty minutes, at a. temperature preferably between 120 and 160 F. and it may then be removed and put through an extractor.

The stock may if desired be subjected to another operation for removing the grease and otherwise preparing the fibers for the subsequent treatment described herein. For this step, a soap solution may be used. I have found that a solution containing five parts of water to one of the fiber stock, and up to 7% olive oil soap and 3% by weight of the fiber stock of tallow soap gives good results. The stock may be soaked in this solution for from ten to thirty minutes and may then be removed and put through an extractor.

In carrying out my preferred treatment I immerse the fibers in a solution of sodium sulphocyanide, or other salt capable of modifying the form of the fibers, and an aluminate body in an alkaline medium, preferably a colloidal substance such as soap, which causes the fibers to be coated and weighted, and modified in form by the delevelopment of kinks, curls, or sharp bends. I prefer to combine the sodium sulpho-cyanide and the aluminate body in the same bath as I have found that besides economy of time and eifort the combined treatment results in a definitely improved quality of treated fiber. I find that the sulpho-cyanide increases the degree to which the fiber is impregnated by the adherent material, either by reason of its salting out effect on the alkali-sericine which exists in true solution, or its usefulness as an electrolyte in limiting the dispersion of the sericine in the water or the soap solution and favorably changing its distribution between the liquid and the fiber phase.

As an example of an aluminate body which will give good results I will mention sericine as in boiled ofi liquor,. which contains a high percentage of sericine or silk gum and which is more available commercially than pure sericine. In solution sericine is attacked by soda or soap forming sodium-sericine which' is readily combined with and deposited upon the fibers. Though I in no way limit myself to these percentages I have found that a solution comprising five parts of water to one part of fiber stock, and up to 5% i of the weight of the fiber stock of each of sodium sulpho-cyanide and actual sericine, or up to approximately 50% of boiled off liquor", depending on the concentration which varies very widely in the commercial product, gives satisfactory results. The character of the particular fiber being treated may be such as to influence somewhat the percentage of ingredients used. For example, if the fiber is unusually stifi a larger percent of sulpho-cyanide than would otherwise be used may be found desirable.

While not essential I have found it is desirable to treat the fibers in the said solution for a period.

of approximately one half hour and to raise the temperature of the bath to approximately the range of 170 to 200 F. at the start of the bath.

The temperature of the bath may be allowed to cool slowly during the treatment. After removal from the bath the fibers may be dried inany suitable manner.

The boiled off liquor contains a varying percentage of soap in a colloidal state which modifies the degree to which the sericine is deposited from solution onto the fibers. Even if boiled oif liquor is not used some soap remains on the fibers after the degreasing operation and facilitates the action of the gum. Any suitable alkaline medium may be employed, with or in place of the soap, to facilitate the use of the adherent material.

The material deposited on, and/or in the fibers is also useful at a later time as a mordant facilitating the dyeing of the yarn.

After this treatment, the coated and weighted and artificially modified fibers may be stored and used as required, and may bereadily spun into a yarn with fibers of the same or a different kind, such for example as cotton, wool, silk and rayon or other fibers. I have found thatstock treated by my process is substantially free from fly and that yarn incorporating the product of my process may be made substantially free from shedding, using a lower twist than would otherwise be necessary.

While the step of lubricating the fibers forms no part of the present invention, if desired, the treated stock may be spread out and oil sprinkled, sprayed or otherwise distributed thereon. For this purpose approximately 1% of neutral oil, based on theweight of the fur stock, may be used. I have found however that when my process is used the step of sprinkling the stock with oil may be ordinarily omitted. I

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details above described, but that it comprehends broadly the treatment of animal fibers to overcome flying and shedding, and the effects of static electricity,

What I claim is:

1. Method of treating animal fibers for spinning with fibers of the same or different kind,

which comprises treating the fibers with a solution of sulpho-cyanide and an adherent material.

2. Method of treating animal fibers for spinning into a yarn .with fibers of the same or different kind, which comprises treating the fibers with a solution of sulpho-cyanide and sericine.

3. Method of treating animal fibers for spinning into a yarn with fibers of the same or different kind, which comprises treating the fibers with a solution of up to 5% of each of sulpho-cyanide and sericine basedon the weight of the fibers being treated. i

4. The method of treating animal fibers to eliminate flying, shedding and the effects of static electricity which comprises immersing them in a bath containingsericine in the presence of an alkaline medium in order to form a deposit there- 5. The method of treating animalfibers which comprises immersing the fibers in a bath containing an alubinate body dispersed in a colloidal substance such as soap in order to form permanent deposit thereon.

6. The method of treating animal fibers which comprises immersing the fibers in a bath containing sulpho-cya'nid and alkali-sericine.

7. The method of treating the fibers of fur, hair and the like which comprises treating the said fibers in a bath containing a grease solvent and thereafter exposing the fibers to a weak solution of sulpho-cyanide.

8. The method of treating the fibers of fur, hair and the like which comprises treating the said fibers in a bath containing a grease solvent and thereafter exposing the fibers to a weaksolution of sulpho-cyanide and an adherent matetriethanolamine and thereafter exposing said fibers to the action of a weak solution of sulphocyanide and an adherent material.

10. The method of treating fur and hair fibers and the like which comprises treating the fibers with a weak solution of suipho-cyanide and an adherent material.

11. The method 01' treating fur and hair fibers which comprises immersing the fibers in a bath containing suIpho-cyanide and sericine.

12. The method of forming yarn which comprises coating animal fibers with a permanent deposit of sericine prior to spinning and subse- 5 quently spinning them.

LEO FRENKEL. 

